Reading the FAQ

Before you make an offer, you should have read the FAQ at least once. If not, read it now before scrolling down. Here, a passing familiarity with the FAQ is presumed, so some common/obvious rules may be omitted or not discussed in detail. It is your responsibility to ensure that these rules are adhered to even if they are not mentioned here.

If you have been referred here from the FAQ, then read on...

Before you make a torrent offer, check:

Is your offer Blacklisted?

Blacklisted anime/manga may not be uploaded. If you are unclear on whether a series belongs under the blacklist you may request clarification on the Uploader's Forum.

Do we allow the files you wish to offer, to be uploaded?

Rules concerning content we allow/do not allow are covered in the Torrent Content Upload Guidelines. Our preferred content packaging is also covered in detail in Format Preferences. If you feel your files are really special and you would like to argue your case, make a new thread in the Uploaders' Forum and we'll give it some thought.

Is your offer already on BakaBT?

Do a search first; if the series is well-known, not blacklisted and stopped airing a while ago, chances are it's on BakaBT already. Some series may be known by more than one name, or may have an English name and a (romanised) Japanese name; search all possible names before making an offer.

If at first you find no results, always perform a partial search of the title as well. "Galactic Heroes" instead of "Legend of the Galactic Heroes", for example. The same principle applies even more so when searching the romanized name, as there are sometimes more than one spellings to choose from. If you find you're getting too many hits, filter by tag to narrow the results.

Last but not least: always browse through the "Offers" page (f.e. using Ctrl+F) to check whether someone else might have already offered your planned upload.

We allow more than one version of an offer on BakaBT, under certain conditions. See Format Preferences for more details.

Is your offer the highest-quality offer around?

Just because a torrent meets the above requirements, it does not necessarily mean it will be accepted on BakaBT. If you're not confident that it is the best version, check on AniDB. Do not look only at overall ratings, also read the comments and check the distribution of ratings as well.

If a better sub group is working on the same anime series but isn't quite done yet we'll usually opt to wait for it (unless the group has announced that they are dropping the project). Exceptions to this rule are outlined in our Format Preferences.

Should I include OVAs in the same offer as the main series?

The general rule is that if the OVA is included in a BD/DVD of the main series, it belongs with the main series. If it came bundled with mangas and light novels, we'll take it separately. If in doubt, please ask staff members to clarify.

Still not sure?

If you are unsure whether your offer might be accepted, do not worry. Sometimes this happens when a series is only available in speedsub quality, or if it is rare and valuable but only marginally anime/manga-related. In such cases you can clarify or push for your case in the Uploaders' Forum first before committing to the offer.

Keep in mind that staff decisions are final, so if you have been repeatedly told by staff that an offer is not allowed, do not stubbornly try to offer it anyway. Of course, things are changing quite quickly in the fansubbing scene, so what is not allowed now may be allowed in future.

Making the offer

Once you've verified that the offer meets the above requirements, you can proceed to make the offer. There are a lot of things to check and include, but this goes a long way in ensuring that BakaBT hosts only the best torrents.

Can you make the Offer?

As simple as this part sounds, many people don't read the FAQ carefully enough to realise that they have to be a Power User to make a torrent offer. If you want to make an offer but are not a Power User, then become one first.

Making the torrent file

First of all, you will need to create a .torrent file. The link has detailed instructions on how to create a .torrent file in different clients. Technical details aside, you'll need to ensure that the .torrent file has the private tag set, and does not contain SFV, NFO, TXT or other small files; those can be added to the torrent under the "Attachments" tab. For certain clients, make sure you use the option to preserve file order. The tracker URL to use is http://tracker.bakabt.me:2710/announce.php.

Filenames may be changed, only to correct typos or mis-labelled tags. Filename format should remain consistent.

The exception to this rule is when a scanlation group is inconsistent in their release names or when they are not properly tagged. In this case, filenames may be corrected or changed to something sensible (see below for help on filename formats).

This rule does not apply for multiple groups, as release names would likely be different. Do not change filenames in this case. In fact, this exception should not apply to most offers; it is advised that you upload the torrent with the original filenames first and staff/other members will tell you if they should be changed. If you are unsure, create a thread in the Uploaders' Forum.

Filenames and tags in Kanji on OSTs, Albums and CDs, must be changed to the correct romanised transcription. Romanised filenames and tags (both in UTF-8) are required.

Where self-released, or if there is no official source for the filename, the following formats should be used:

For zipped manga: [Title] [Volume # if applicable] [Chapter #], with [Scanlator] or other group's names permitted at the start or end.

For unzipped manga: [Group] [Title] [Page #]

For anime: [Title] [Episode number] [CRC], [Group] permitted at the start or end of the filename. [Source] (TV, DVD or Bluray) may be added, but is optional.

For soundtracks: [Track number] [Title]. [Artist/composer] may be added at the end of the filename, but is optional.

If you're unsure about anything, please say so in the torrent comments, or ask in the Uploader's Forum.

How do I find out whose releases I have?

If you do not know who released the files you have, there are a few ways to go about investigating.

For anime, the quickest and easiest solution is to download and run AniDB O'Matic. This program will scan the areas of your hard disk, hash check your files, and automatically match it up to an entry in their database (should there be one). For more information, see the AniDB wiki.

Alternatively, you can look up the CRC hash of your file in the AniDB page for that anime. Under the various file listings near the bottom of the page, expand the entry for appropriate episode number and see if any of the listed CRCs match your file.

For manga, the simplest way is to check through the pages to see if credits have been included anywhere. If they haven't, then the next step would be to visit MangaUpdates, search for the title in question, check which groups have scanlated the title, then visit each group's website and compare their release to yours.

For OSTs, the first step should be to check the file tags. Often, rippers will put their group name and/or website in the comments field. If your files have been retagged, then you're out of luck.

Filling in the Upload Page

While description-writing may be a little intimidating the first time, it is relatively straightforward. To make an offer, move your mouse over the Offers link on the main page navigation bar, then click on Upload. This will bring you to the upload page.

The fields are relatively straightforward to understand.

Torrent fileSelect the .torrent file to be uploaded.

Torrent nameSuggested format: "{(Romanised) Japanese name} | {English name} [{fansub group}]" <-- Replace italicised text in {round brackets} with the appropriate names. Words like "OVA" or "Movie" are not always necessary because of the category system (however, if the title of the show includes "OVA" or "Movie", you should add it). In case you're uploading only a particular season of a longer series, it is useful to include the season and/or the episodes (for example: My Series - Season 1 [01-25]).

Link to AniDBFind the anime description on AniDB and paste the link here.

Writing a Description

You are strongly advised to prepare your torrent description in the Sandbox or an external text editor first. Once it is ready, copy the code into the description box in the upload page. Do keep your own copy of the description code in case your work gets wiped out for any reason.

We also suggest putting "DESCRIPTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION" at the top of the description while you are still tweaking your description. Remove it once you are done.

Using a Template

If you don't have time to make a description from scratch, or know some rudimentary HTML but don't have time to mess with it too much, you can use one of the ready-made templates (link also available from the upload page).

We also have a Sandbox for users to try out and preview descriptions before making an offer (link also available from the upload page). There is no bias towards descriptions made from templates, as long as information and images are neatly laid out and easy to read. If one is making a description for the first time and has no prior experience with HTML it would be preferred to use a template first.

Alternatively, BBCode may be used instead of HTML. Any text not between HTML markup tags (<html><body> ... </body></html>) will be treated as BBCode formatting or plain text.

Torrent Title

A good description starts with a good title. The title must have the original romanised Japanese title and the English title (if any) as well. The standard title format for anime is Japanese Title | English Title [fansub group abbreviation/name]. Words like "OVA" or "Movie" are not necessary because of the category system, unless "OVA" or "Movie" is part of the show's official title.

In case you're uploading only a particular season of a longer series, it is useful to include the season and/or the episodes (for example: My Series - Season 1 [01-25]).

Should you wish to modify the torrent title after you've uploaded your torrent, you'll need to click on the 'Edit Info' button located in the general torrent info box beneath your description.
Don't forget to click 'Save' at the bottom of the edit box after you've made your changes; the modifications won't be saved otherwise.

Images

Images and/or screenshots, as well as links to sites like AniDB and ANN are required. You must host your own images. Do not hotlink images. Do take a look at some of the approved uploads to get an idea of what is needed before a torrent can be approved.

Note: Screenshots should be taken in PNG format, at the correct resolution. If the video is anamorphic, make sure screenshots are taken at display aspect ratio and resolution.

Note 2: At least 1 shot has to show the subtitles with the style defined in the release. Click here for more detailed info.

A list of image hosting services with automatic thumbnail generation (needed for screenshots) are given below:

Note : It is recommended that you use BakaSHOTS as it is the most compatible with our site. Furthermore, we won't have dead screenshots when images are pruned on other hosting sites.

Description

We look for succinct, accurate descriptions of the contents of your torrent in the description. Information that is required but unknown should be indicated as such. It is preferable for files on BakaBT to be of known origin, but if it is the best version available then it can't be helped. Include a short description of what you're uploading, if it's not obvious. Descriptions are limited to 65,536 characters.

It is common courtesy to credit sources of information, so please do that. While file information can easily be found through utilities such as MediaInfo, anime summaries and synopses that are copied from anime databases (such as ANN, AniDB or Anime-Planet) should be credited with a simple "taken from [Website name]" or "Source:[Website name]".

Description Content

The following table outlines information that must be in the torrent description:

Serialization information, preferable a link to the MangaUpdates publication page

Obtaining audio/video bitrates

More often than not anime releases will have been submitted to AniDB and in that case it's relatively easy to obtain the audio and video bitrates you will need for your description.You do need to sign up for an AniDB account first though.

Go to the AniDB listing of the anime you want audio/video bitrates from, for example Naruto.

Scroll down to the "Group Status" section and click on "show all" at the bottom right part of the group listing.

Choose the release group you're interested in from the "Name" column and click on the accompanying entry in the "State" column next to it.

You'll see a listing of all the releases the group you chose did for the anime you're interested in.

To view the details of any release you're interested in, click on the corresponding entry in the "ID" column.

There you have it, rinse and repeat for any other releases you're interested in.

For series it's recommended that you average the audio/video bitrates of all episodes.

Although most of the new releases nowadays will be added to the AniDB database, you will undoubtedly run in to ones that aren't added yet.
How to obtain the audio/video bitrates in that case?

Use Avdump2, the utility provided by AniDB to add entries to their database.

A suggested option to add to the Shortcut - Target line mentioned on the Avdump2 Wiki page is:

This will create two files (one with ED2 links and one with all the audio and video details) and will also allow you to view the results of the file dump in a CMD window.
But you're of course free to experiment with said function.

Description Presentation

The following rules must be followed when making your description:

1) No more than 2 mouse-clicks/mouse-overs to view information

Torrent descriptions in general do not contain that much info. Just some information about the series, the files, and a summary. Logically, no more than 2 clicks should be necessary to view that information. Putting sparse information into many many tabs makes things troublesome for page visitors and doesn't make sense.

Exceptions to this rule apply if you're making an OST offer with lots of albums, or in other special circumstances.

2) No background images >150KB or cover images for music collections >50KB

It's really easy to insert background images, and they really make your description look pretty, don't they? But also keep in mind that there are people with bandwidth caps, people with slower access plans, and your image host most likely has a bandwidth limit imposed on you. It doesn't make sense to use an 800KB PNG file for the background image, right? So save it as a JPG, and you'll easily bring the filesize down to 1/3rd or 1/4th the PNG filesize with sensible settings. Don't abuse file formats just because you can.

Cover images for music collections should be kept under a reasonable size of 30-50KB per cover.

If you have a really huge image that you just can't fit into the 150KB footprint, then it's time to rethink it. Do you really need that >150KB image? Are you willing to accept a drop in image quality just to fit it in? Or is there any other way you can shrink the description and hence use a smaller background image? If you can use a smaller colour palette, it helps reduce image size as well.

Once you are ready to make the offer, click on the "Make offer" button at the bottom of the upload page. Your torrent has now been submitted and will appear in the Offers section of the site. But it is not quite ready yet; two sections still need to be worked on.

Keywords

What are good keywords for my torrent?

You have to see the keywords as a second way to categorise torrents. Choose keywords that truthfully reflect the content of the files you're uploading and that allows it to be found in different ways than just searching for a title.

Good keywords are: genres*, 720p/1080p, fansub group, author, director, that kind of stuff. Someone might be interested in all of "Miyazaki's" or Studio 4C works, searching for Miyazaki resp. Studio 4C will match the keywords and you have what you're looking for.

Bad keywords are: anything that appears in the title of the torrent or is already expressed otherwise (OST, OVA, HD, Movie, etc.). Alternate titles, codecs, and your own personal comments do not belong in keywords. Either add them to your title, or to your description. Fansub groups are permissible as keywords, even if they are already included in your torrent title.

When listing genres, use AniDB's categories, not AnimeNFO or ANN, for consistency.

You don't need to turn everything about the series into a keyword; adding the entire production staff as keywords would be pointless. Choose the most important keywords you can use to describe the torrent. For instance, the 'Action' keyword is not necessary if the torrent has many other keywords. You also don't need to tag mangaka/artists/directors who aren't too well-established yet.

Guidelines:

First of all, ask yourself the question: "If I were looking for an anime 'like' this one, what keywords would I be looking for?" and "which keywords are not needed?"

Secondly, drop near duplicate keywords like 'Contemporary Fantasy' and 'Fantasy', as they are not both needed; just keep whichever applies more to your torrent.

Add only useful keywords. No one will search for keywords such as 'mp3' or 'DVD'.

Do not add duplicate keywords, for instance "Yuki Kajiura" and "Kajiura Yuki" or "Science-Fiction" and "Sci-Fi". Add only the one that currently exists in our keyword list.

This also holds for fansub names: add either (for instance) Abacus Subs or AbSubs, but not both; the latter is preferred because it is shorter.

Persons' names should be given in Eastern name order (family name first), with the family name in all caps. For instance, use "KANNO Yoko", not "Kanno Yoko" or "Yoko Kanno".

Do not add alternative titles or alternative spellings. See title guidelines.

Check the list of keywords for existing keywords and/or common spellings. Keep in mind that the keyword listing is case-sensitive so match case, and matching other keywords is better than making a new one.

Keyword syntax

We've just discussed the semantics of keywords, but what about the syntax? First of all, not all characters are allowed. Only alphanumeric characters, dashes (-) and spaces are allowed. Furthermore, a keyword is allowed to have two spaces, no more. If you're making a keyword of a composed word (for instance: MAMORU Oshii) keep it one keyword, don't add a comma in between. Genres like "Magical girl" and "Law and Order" should also be written without commas.

Adding keywords to your torrent

Below the description of the torrent you've just uploaded you'll see a general torrent info box. Click on 'Edit Info' and you'll see the options available for editing, including the keywords.

Typing in a word (or part of a word) will call up suggestions in a box. These suggestions are comprised of keywords that already exist on BakaBT. You should pick from the suggestions given to you to ensure consistency.

Once you have clicked on the desired key word suggested, click 'Add' to associate it with your torrent. Repeat this process for as many keywords as you need (currently, there is a character limit on the keywords, so if you find that your last key word is getting cut off, remove it).

Be sure to click 'Save' at the bottom of the edit box when you're done, or none of your changes will be saved.

If you need to add a keyword that isn't suggested, type it into the keyword field and click on 'Add'. This keyword will be sent for moderation. If the keyword is approved, it will be added to our official keyword list and it will appear on your torrent immediately. If rejected, it will be blacklisted, and will not show up again.

Attaching Extra Files

We only accept certain file formats, as described in our Format Preferences. Other file formats may be accepted on a case-by-case basis (ask in the Uploaders' Forum). Small files (such as .txt, .nfo, .sfv, .md5 and other filetypes) that are useful to the torrent may be attached as extra files (see below).

What are "extra files" and what should I add?

"Extra files" allow you to add (small) files to your torrent, files which you want to include but don't really belong in the torrent; essentially, files that are extraneous to the torrent and do not complete it in any way. Think of .sfv/.md5 files for file verification (or hash tables in general), or .nfo files for credits and info. You are not allowed to add images. Linking to the files will not work, the link is dynamic and becomes invalid after 24 hours.

Any and all files released by the original source should be included as "extra files" (granted they do not violate the "extra files" rules, such as credits pages from manga. Leave those INSIDE your torrent).
All video torrents (series/movies/ova) should have, but do not require, at least an .sfv or .md5 file with (official) hashes. You can get the CRCs from the fansubber's website or AniDB.net (the latter also lists md5 hashes amongst other hashes) if the CRC values are not in the file names.

DO NOT include these extra files in the contents of your torrent. Your offer will not be accepted if this is the case.
If you get the message 'This torrent contains improper files, please swap the torrent file.' at the top of your offer page, that's your clue that there is something wrong with your file structure.

How do I attach extra files?

Simply edit your torrent (after it's been offered or uploaded), and there will be a box for you to enter the path of files you wish to upload below the description box. Simply select it and click upload, and it will be attached right away.

Responding to Comments

Once you have uploaded your torrent, you will see it in the Offers page. Here, other users may make relevant comments about the torrent, or point out issues. If you find any irrelevant comments on a pending torrent (such as "Pls seed" comments, or comments about the show that do not concern the torrent, do report them by using the "Report" link beside the comment). Site staff will also use the comments page to inform you about things that need fixing.

If the torrent flouts one or more major rules (i.e. blacklisted, or a superior/identical torrent already exists on BakaBT), it will be rejected, and remain in the Offers pool until it is removed by the uploader or pruned by site staff.

Each offer made by a Power User requires approval from a few staff members before it is added to the Browse list. If approval from only one staff member has been given, the torrent's status is changed to "Semi-granted". (See: What does 'Semi-approved' mean?)

Note that site staff and other members are not obliged to PM users to fix their offer; it is the uploader's responsibility to check the uploaded torrent regularly and resolve any issues.

Once the torrent is fully approved, you will have to re-download the .torrent file (which will now have your user keypass in the tracker URL) for seeding. Alternatively, you can also add your keypass to the tracker URL manually; it should look like http://tracker.bakabt.me:2710/[keypass]/announce.php.

Rude, insulting, spoiler-ish or useless comments may be reported using the 'Report' button in each comment box.

Swapping the torrent

If, for any reason, something is wrong with your torrent (such as containing improper files or lacking a version 2 of an episode), you may request to swap the .torrent file. This will negate the need to delete the torrent and upload it again. You may apply to swap your own torrent files when they are either in the Offer stage or they are registered with the tracker.

To do so, edit your torrent. Click on the "Swap Torrent" tab, select the .torrent to swap with, and enter a valid reason for swapping. Upon sending the request, you will need to wait for a moderator or admin to grant the swap request. The request may be rejected if no proper reason is given. Send the request only once!

Parent torrents

Note: Only Admins and Mods are allowed to touch groupings.

What are they?

Parent torrents are torrents under which other torrents with identical content have been grouped. For instance, lossless and lossy versions of the same soundtrack collection may be grouped as a parent-child set, while the HD, SD and Xvid versions of an anime series may be grouped as another parent-child set.

Note that parent-child groups are not for grouping related (but unidentical) torrents. For instance, the OVA and Movie versions of an anime should not be grouped as a parent-child set (example: Gunbuster, Strait Jacket).

Which torrent should be the parent?

Generally, complete torrents take precedence over incomplete torrents (i.e. torrents with more content become 'parents' of torrents with less content, or torrents with the 'incomplete' flag tagged). 'Higher-quality' torrents take precedence over 'lower quality' torrents. For more details, see our Format Preferences.

So what should I do about parent-child sets?

As you are making your offer, do a search for other identical offers. Then, based on the Format Preferences, see which torrent should be the parent.

While in Pending stage

If your torrent should be the parent:

Include links to the 'child torrents' that would go under your torrent in your torrent comments. Site staff will group the torrents appropriately if the offer is granted.

(pending torrents should not be set as parent torrents)

If your torrent should be the child of another torrent:

Include link to the 'parent torrent' that would go above your torrent in your torrent comments. Site staff will group the torrents appropriately if the offer is granted.

If there are no other identical torrents:

You don't have to do anything about parent-child groupings.

Already approved ungrouped torrents

If your torrent should be the parent:

Report that torrent, and provide a link to the 'child torrents' that would go under your torrent in the report.

If your torrent should be the child of another torrent:

Report that torrent, and provide a link to the parent torrent in the report as well as the other 'child torrents' if they are ungrouped.

What if I find parent-child sets that have not been put together, or grouped wrongly?

Report the torrents. In the report, describe why the torrents should/should not be grouped, and include links to the relevant torrent pages.